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Fighting HIV/AIDS amidst poverty and conflict: Northern
Uganda Experience
By Akullu
Harriet
For
the last 19 years, Northern Uganda has been embroiled in a
conflict which has resulted into one of the World’s worst
Humanitarian crisis.
The
conflict is said to be between the Lords Resistant Army,
LRA, and the Government of Uganda (UPDF), although the
target seem to be the civilian population mainly with no
attacks on barracks and army detaches.
Its
impact is not only felt at the local level, but as a
government, Uganda is loosing a lot of resources to
maintain this very expensive and protracted war. Yet this
seems to be one of the most forgotten conflicts. For
whatever reason, it has not been able to attract as much
media and international attention as that of Afghanistan,
Darfur or Iraq.
To date,
90 percent of the population live in camps where the
conditions alone are beyond human imagination. These camps
are characterized by hunger, poor sanitation, diseases,
poverty, immorality and idleness. UNHCR head, Jan Egland has been trying
to profile this war especially at the international level
and within the UN systems including the Security Council
but so far there seems to be no headway.
And
perhaps one of the worst impacts of this conflict is the
escalated prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the Northern districts
of Uganda. Yes conflict does have a great impact on
HIV/AIDS.
Some of
the scenarios that have been fueled directly by the
conflict and which have enhanced the spread of HIV/AIDS
include the Juakali women. These are a group of mobile
ladies that tend to follow the fighters (on the government
side) everywhere they go and at sometimes interface with
civilian population in the different camps where they
move.
In
addition the camp life, which has aggravated the issue of
poverty, and disempowered men and women is another scene,
young girls are forced into marriage to look for some
money for their families. For instance, in January 2004,
when I did a survey in one to the camps-Pabbo, on Bride
and HIV/AIDS in an IDP camp scenario, one of the ladies
had this to say in one of the FGD:
“……you
have to look for some one with money, and in the camp
here, it is only the government soldiers with money. And
if you sleep with a soldier your parents can at least get
something. The only problem with the soldiers is that they
can easily give you HIV………”.
When
asked why she
still had to go with them any way, her response indicated
that there was no other alternative.
Another
scene is created by the limited access to information and
other social services which have been disrupted by the
conflict. Sometimes people acquire the virus simply
because they don’t have access to condoms, and where it
has been accessed, it is not correctly used because nobody
has taught them how to use it. Again in another survey in
the same camp in which I was looking at Reproductive
Health and young people, a male youth had this to say,
“…………we
do not have access to condoms because we are shy to get it
from the health unit. And some times they are not even
there any way. So we use one condom and wash it to be
reused. Also some times we wrap our penises with these
white pill bags (Kavera). One can put about 3 of them and
tie the top with rubber bands….”
As we
speak now, the rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence from sentinel
sites where pregnant mothers undergo HIV/AIDS tests stands
at 11.6% as compared to the national average of 7%- for
Gulu. The situation of OVC created by HIV/AIDS coupled
with life in the camps is even annoying.
ACORD
has been supporting a number of grassroots organizations
and initiatives to significantly reduce this prevalence
rate and also to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS at the
community and household level.
In Gulu
alone, ACORD supports up to seven partner organizations
two of which are solidarity groups of People Living with
HIV/AIDS, PLHAS, and one for foster parents. The rest are
AIDS service organizations.
These
groups have been working on Education, following up and
counseling clients and HIV positive children through
drama, role plays and living testimonies to create
awareness on the, ABC (Abstain, Be Faithful, Condom),
positive living, and discourage stigma and discrimination.
The
Agency has also carried out a number of studies related to
HIV/AIDS and presenting at different forums including the
bride price and HIV/AIDS, where a presentation was done at
the International women conference on Bride price in
Kampala and Social Study on HIV/AIDS related stigma and
discrimination, for the case of Gulu, a presentation to
the councilors who then began to formulate a by law
against stigma in one of the divisions in the municipality
of Gulu.
The
partners are currently supporting more than 2,000 OVCs,
1,000 PLHAs, and carrying out awareness in over 10 camps.
Our
greatest challenge is how to fight HIV/AIDS amidst poverty
and conflict. The suffering of the people of Northern
Uganda however continues to motivate the staff of Gulu
Office to work amidst all the hardship.
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ACORD new strategy for DRC: a
brainstorming session with Fahreen Chudasama
Par Celine Siro
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From the 4th to 17th May
2005, a team of ACORD consisting of Mahamat Ahmat
(Programming Development Advisor for Francophone
countries) and Fahreen Chudasama (Partnership
Development Officer) made a trip to Congo.
The aim of the trip
revolved around five core issues:
|
Training Session for yourng girls on HIV/AIDS |
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Revisit the partnership
links already established with our partners on the field
in Kisangani and meet with potential partners in the
eastern province;
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Develop a new partnership
with local and international donors and create new
funding opportunities for the DRC geographic area;
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Facilitate a good
understanding of the funding process at ACORD and how to
manage efficiently the resources.
The Congo, a huge country
endowed with tremendous natural resources base, was the
centre stage of a warfare that can be termed as the
African World War for having been the battlefield of
several armies from various countries in an independent
territory. On one side, the armed forces of Angola,
Namibia and Zimbabwe were allied to the government forces
and on the other side; Uganda and Rwanda were fighting on
the rebels’ side.
For many years, the country
was paying the price of a lack of an upright political
system, widespread corruption and eventually the war
opposing it to its immediate neighbours. However, despite
a bleak past, the country is trying to rebuild itself from
scratch and it is against this background that ACORD
intends to help alleviate the hardships of the populations
often marginalized due to the weak state systems of
political and economic management.
ACORD has been assisting
Congo since 1996. Its prime objective is to promote the
welfare of the people in state of despair due to the
protracted war and dilapidated livelihood.
The new ACORD strategic
framework intends to go beyond the isolated and lost
actions into a sea of needs for a larger population with a
national, regional and international influence on
crosscutting issues.
With its experience in mind,
ACORD envisages today, through this national strategy in
DRC, to contribute to the socio-economic, political and
institutional development of the country as exemplified in
other African countries it has assisted for the emergence
and consolidation of a social movement based on a strong
and empowered civil society.
The ACORD new strategy is
set up in three regions namely:
In the western part of
Kinshasa, Bas-Congo and Bandundu (although the activities
in Kinshasa have been completed since December 2004),
ACORD is trying to improve upon the livelihood of
semi-urban populations by involving them in income
generating activities and by promoting the agricultural
sector; the sensitisation of the environment management;
education on the HIV prevention and the fight against the
victimisation of people infected with the virus, etc.
In the east, in the eastern
province and Kisangani. In this region, ACORD has
established links with the grassroots as well as the state
entities. Earlier, the presence of ACORD was focused on
practical activities often generated by the consequences
of poverty. After some considerations, the programmes
planning shifted to a programming for a sustainable
development.
In the centre of the
country, in eastern and western Kasai and Katanga region.
The programme aims at improving the agricultural
production and the livelihood of the population. It
intends to give a technical support, to facilitate market
access to farmers, mobilise the farmers in coalition and
promote research.
ACORD has four interventions
focus namely the civil society, conflicts prevention,
HIV/AIDS and the livelihoods.
The major ACORD challenges
in the field are the lack of infrastructure (for example,
in the east, ACORD has a programme in Isangi 125 km from
Kisangani. Trips can only be done through the river since
the road network is almost non-existent. In the Kingabwa
district, health and environment issues are rampant due to
the number of migrant workers coming from the war-torn
eastern region. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is high in
these regions. Oxfam Hong Kong assists ACORD for emergency
issues related to rehabilitation of health centres and
schools. Groupe Developpement is involved in conflict
prevention while a host of practical activities and
advocacy are funded by Novib under the title ‘Support
Funds to local initiatives’.
Nowadays in DRC, 50% of the
population is unemployed. The informal sector is now an
important feature of the Congolese economy. Everything
points to war and the situation is volatile. The city
infrastructures are dilapidated or occupied by the army to
serve as headquarters. For example, the nurse training
centre has been destroyed and what remains is used by the
displaced people as shelter. Education wise, three of the
universities or the remaining structures are still
operational even though the quality of the training
dropped with, of course, the perennial issue of unpaid
scholarship. In the field of public transport, old
minibuses are still in use ( the original seats are
removed and replaced by benches to accommodate more
passengers. For ventilation purposes, the car body was
punctured with holes all over.
Poverty in its various forms
can be felt everywhere (treatment based on ARV for PLWAs
is in the range of $ 28 while a policeman earns $ 10 a
month. Beyond that, it is believed that there is only one
voluntary counselling centre for one million people in
urban centres).
Although the war is supposed
to be over, insecurity still prevails.
In spite of hardships, the
Congolese hope that come the elections, a new chapter will
be opened for the country. The United Nations Mission in
Congo (MONUC) is conspicuously present in the country as
well as the European Union to monitor the elections. The
European Union wields a great influence on the elections
so that there are free and fair.
ACORD shares the same hope
and is trying its best for this new strategy to be
consolidated and implemented.
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HIV/AIDS versus Gender in a conflict setting
By Abwola
Sunday – NUAP
The sounds
of gun will one day be over but many families in
Northern Uganda will continue to weep due to deaths caused
by HIV/AIDS.
Although there is little cross-country epidemiological
data available, there is evidence to suggest that
conflicts increase the risk and impact of HIV/AIDS in
several ways.
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Young girls are at a high risk of HIV/AIDS infection
with the frequent abduction by rebels |
Conflicts dislocate communities, create flows of refugees
and internally displaced persons, and seriously disrupt
family life.
They also bring in soldiers and fighters into contact with
civilians in situations where women and young girls and
boys are highly vulnerable to sexual violence and sexual
exploitation.
The breakdown of basic services and psychosocial
stress compound the situation.
The magnitude of these problems has prompted
considerable work among national and international
actors to mainstream HIV/AIDS prevention and control
into humanitarian response and post-conflict
reconstruction. |
ACORD HIV/AIDS programme in Northern Uganda is presenting
new challenges with regards to problems associated with
HIV/AIDS in a conflict setting.
Common predisposing factors in this scenario includes
overcrowded IDP camps, sex work due to prevailing poverty,
mobility of soldiers, abduction of children by rebels army
, female captives taken as sex slaves to rebels’
commanders, rape and sexual violence by armed persons.
This has increased vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and is being
treated as a rights issue, which has made slight shift in
ACORD’s programming
The high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in conflict areas has been
widely documented. Reports from the HIV/AIDS tests
indicate that the majority of the female who are abducted
and are rescued or released, are HIV/AIDS positive.
Domestic violence in relation to HIV/AIDS and other forms
of human rights abuses is becoming a major concern in
conflict zones with Northern Uganda being the area for
concern and study.
This population has suffered the effects of armed
conflict, HIV/AIDS and sexual gender based violence that
has jeopardized their livelihood.
Much as HIV /AIDS has claimed lives; it is a belief among
the population that the current conflict has increased the
incidences of gender based violence that have in turn
contributed to the spread of this epidemic. Persons
affected by conflict and persons infected and affected by
HIV/AIDS have one common dilemma of gender-based violence
Gender based violence related to HIV/AIDS accounted for
25% of common assaults among married couples who have
tested and found positive. 15% of indecent
assaults/quarrels, insults, verbal confrontations and 5%of
the reported cases are of rape and property grabbing.
Gulu district, which used to boast of a low HIV/AIDS rate,
is now considered one of the worst affected districts in
Uganda. The National Strategic Framework for HIV/AIDS in
Uganda (2003/04 2005/06) noted that the high prevalence in
the north is partly attributed to the war situation and
inadequate information, education and communication on
HIV/AIDS in the region.
The following are some of the nasty experiences as
recalled by victims and affected parties in the conflict
related circumstances in the area as interviewed by ACORD.
“I would rather my daughter gets pregnant by a civilian
other than being taken captive by rebels or army officers
and given away to old commanders”, lamented Okello whose
daughter was abducted and escaped back after 7 years with
2 children born in captivity.
“What love can I have for the children whose father
forced me to sex when I was only 12 years”, said Maria in
a sombre mood.
“I was beaten up by the government forces when I followed
my daughter who was taken as a wife without my consent”
such cases were handled by the traditional clans men
before this armed conflict but now not even the local
council can help you for fear of being labelled a Rebel
Collaborator”, Remarked, David whose daughter was tested
HIV positive and now bed ridden at his home.
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IDPs in Sudan and their Quest for survival
By Ilham Ibrahim
Sudan is perhaps the largest and one of the most diverse
countries in Africa. It is a country with a vast natural
resource base including deserts, mountain ranges, swamps
and rain forests.
Unfortunately, the country has emerged from a 21-year
civil war between the Muslim dominated north and the
Animist and Christian south in which over 1.5 million
people are said to have lost their lives and millions of
others displaced.
While the Government and Southern opposition groups seemed
closer to peace, fighting broke out in the western region
of Darfur in the early 2003.
More than 1.5 million people fled their homes and tens of
thousands of people have been killed.
However, the year 2005 saw a historic signing of a
comprehensive peace deal between the Sudanese Peoples
Liberation Movement, SPLM, and the Government, after two
years of discussions.
ACORD, with its wide experience in working among
internally displaced people and refugees in many war-torn
African countries, is fully supportive of the efforts made
by the African governments in creating a platform for
peace.
According to the United Nations High Commission for
Refugees, UNHCR’s statistics, Sudan hosts the highest
number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the
world.
In 1998, there were more than 6.8 million IDPs, almost a
quarter of the total population. Such displacement
disrupts family ties, cultural norms and living
conditions, and exposes people to discrimination, and
vulnerability. IDPs in Khartoum mostly lack basic
education, training, skills and assets to compete for
jobs.
The limited income sources and lack of better alternatives
has pushed many displaced women to engage in illicit
alcohol brewing and prostitution, activities considered by
the government as illegal. These have increased women’s
vulnerability to violence by police as well as risks of
acquiring sexually transmitted diseases including
HIV/AIDS.
Commercial sex has mostly been fueled by poverty. Since
these commercial sex workers, operate in a poor area,
their services are so cheap. Average fees for one round
is said to be about SD 200 (less than US $ 1). Some sex
workers do not even have definite charges. In order to
generate enough money that can cover their family needs,
sex workers normally receive large number of clients per
day, which increases the risk of infection.
Female sex workers interviewed say they pay very little
attention on the probability of contracting HIV/AIDS as
they have no option but to survive and feed our children.
“I have no time to think about diseases that might kill me
after ten years, said one Female Sex Worker interviewed by
ACORD.
ACORD Sudan started working with the female sex workers in
El-Salaam displaced camp since the year 2002. The
intervention was started with informal discussion with
some female sex workers who have been encouraged to invite
more FSWs for informal session to drink coffee, and
continued gradually to provide a more preventive package,
these include the basic information about STIs including
HIV, supporting FSWs by transport to access VCTs,
providing them with condoms and the provision of drugs to
treat the different STIs.
The plan for the second half of 2005 include more
activities that aim at widening the economic
opportunities for female sex workers by giving them
opportunities to access micro-finance and training
services.
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By Basilisa Ndayigiza
Since its independence, Burundi is besieged by a
conflict situation characterized by cyclical
inter-ethnic violence. This political conflict with
ethnic dimensions has reached its peak with the advent
of multiparty system and above all since the murder of
a democratically elected president in 1993 when the
conflict until then latent broke out. Local
populations affected by the conflict:
At the early stage of the conflict, the grassroots
populations were subjected to violence including
killings, house destruction and pilferage, etc. This
led to a massive displacement of people towards
refugee’s centres and even to the neighbouring
countries while hatred and suspicion among various
ethnic and political groups were prevailing. |
IDPs in one of the camps in Burundi
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It ensued a rampant poverty of the population coupled with
destabilisation at all levelsPeace and reconciliation
process
To overcome this deadlock, the government together with
political parties have initiated peace negotiations after
which a peace and reconciliation accord was signed in
August 2000 in Arusha. The rebel movements who felt they
were ousted from the process went on creating chaos and
despair. This makes the peace accord fragile.
However, the government went ahead and negotiates with the
rebels. It is only after the signing and the
implementation of the cease-fire accords with the CNDD-FDD
main armed faction of Pierre Nkurunziza in December 2003
that calm was restored to a greater part of the territory.
Unfortunately, a wing of the rebel movement named FNL
which, until then failed to sign the cease-fire, pursued
its rebel activities in rural Bujumbura. It is only last
May 2005 that the Burundian government and FNL-PALIPEHUTU
declared the immediate end to the warfare which is to be
followed by a cease-fire agreement.
At political level, it is worth noting the efforts of the
international community to make Burundi a land of peace by
sending a UN mission to support the effective
implementation of various peace accords and cease-fire and
to back the democratisation process of the current
institutions.
ACORD contribution to the Burundi peace process
According to the analysis made by ACORD of the Burundian
conflict and the solutions brought about by politicians,
the peace accord has been first of all negotiated by the
political-cum-military elite excluding the grassroots be
it at physical or psychological levels while the latter
were those who suffered most the consequences of the war
and the conflicts. The grassroots populations lost heir
properties and their relatives and continue to wander
about in the refugee camps far away from their natural
habitat.
In the eyes of the ordinary citizen more concerned with
his survival and with issues related to his peculiar
interest namely the recovery of his properties, the
restoration of his rights, the resumption of his children
schooling, the recuperation of his lands, a peaceful life
with his neighbours victimised by the war effects and
globalisation, the Arusha negotiations seem to deal rather
with macro-political issues which the man in the street
has no control of. The restoration of a peaceful
coexistence will then be linked to the emergence of
social, community and inter-ethnic negotiation dynamics at
local level.
It is against this background and above all with a view to
giving a local content and close approach to the Arusha
Peace Accord that ACORD has been implementing since 2003
the ‘Support Programme to local initiatives of Burundi
split communities rapprochement’.
ACORD promotes the creation of negotiation space to
facilitate peaceful coexistence.
While the topic of conflict is dealt with as a
crosscutting issue in ACORD programmes, a thematic
programme on conflict, as an engine of split communities’
rapprochement is under way in four districts of the
country since a year and a half.
The idea is to support near community negotiation
workshops in each targeted district by the pilot programme
in order to bring the grassroots to the negotiating table
regarding specific coexistence issues linked to their
local, immediate and long term interests. Having
considered their conflicting interests, the root causes
and how they impact on each other, the communities define
their own local peace programme comprising common specific
strategies and activities which are supposed to lead to a
better rapprochement. Following these workshops,
coexistence plans are developed and signed and monitoring
committees are elected.
ACORD supports the preparation of negotiation mechanisms,
the organisation of workshops, the designing of plans of
action structures, and the process of setting up of
committees as well as the streamlining of the process
implementation in various regions. ACORD also supports the
implementation of negotiated peace projects that can serve
as a meeting framework and social contracts
sustainability.
In 2004, about thirty community negotiations workshops
each of them grouping between 120 and 150 people were
organised in 4 pilot municipalities of the project:
Rugombo municipality in Cibitoke province, Rango
municipality in Kayanza province, Buhiga municipality in
Karusi province and Kamenge area in Bujumbura municipal
council. These workshops are still under way in areas not
yet covered in 2005.
The community negotiation workshops help people to
understand the nature of conflict and to master the
analysis and management tools then to enter into dialogue,
to cast a retrospective look on the past in order to have
an overall picture of their past life so as to reflect on
what was amiss in the past and which could have been the
root causes of conflict at local level. In a genuine
dialogue, the communities engage into a direct and open
dialogue and find an adequate framework to reconcile.
Together, they sign a contract of peaceful coexistence at
local level through which they commit themselves to a
peaceful common life and elect a committee of delegates
for the follow up.
Community negotiations: forgiveness and reconciliation as
a pillar for peace
Paul and Marc are neighbours, dwellers of Rugombo
municipality, Mparambo section. Paul and Marc are
entertaining a latent conflict for more than three years.
Jean Marie, the son of Marc died in a rebellion and his
father never knew what the cause of this death was. By
contrast, he was told that it is Eric, the son of Paul who
dragged Jean Marie into a group of criminals. Eric and
Jean Marie were involved at the same time in the
rebellion. Since the news of the death broke out, Paul and
Marc who were friends were no longer on speaking terms. On
the contrary, a feeling of hatred, mistrust and above all
revenge gradually sets in above all within Marc who was at
all cost looking for the right time to avenge himself.
Now both men are invited to the same workshop for
community negotiations. At the beginning, Marc could not
believe his eyes when he saw Paul in one corner of the
hall, both participating in the workshop. Marc was still
nursing a feeling of hatred and revenge. However, he
listened carefully to the concepts related to conflict,
forgiveness and reconciliation. He had retained few ideas:
latent conflict is dangerous for it blossoms one day into
violences and when these are coupled with revenge,
conflicts become cyclical and can wipe out the whole
community. Marc intended to revenge but he started
wondering: if I revenge, they too will revenge and we will
continue loosing people in our families.
Paul in turn kept quiet; first he was overwhelmed with
fear and anxiety when he noticed that Marc was still
brooding over a feeling of revenge. He knew that
forgiveness and reconciliation in the community could help
them to patch up the missing links.
In the second day, both men reflected all night long and
Paul was feeling ready to approach Marc and repent. Marc
in turn no longer shared the same feelings of resentment
as before; he was waiting for the second day to see how
things will evolve. A change occurs in him:
During the workshop, the time for testimonies came: Paul
recounted his story to the audience and asked Marc to
forgive him on behalf of his son who was absent from the
hall. He beseeched the audience to help him obtain that
forgiveness for what had happened among their sons. He
added that they had enjoyed good relationships and that
the workshop on community negotiations seems to him a
godsend.
Moved by Paul’s words and above all by the workshop
proceedings, he granted the forgiveness without dodging;
he declared that what had happened to his son was perhaps
the devil temptation. Both could become friends again as
before.
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Bringing
two warring communities together: ACORD Ethiopia’s
experience
Courtesy of ACORD Ethiopia
|
Ochom is a village 5 km away from Gambella town. In
this village, lives the Anywaq and Nuer communities.
The Anywaq communities are indigenous in this place,
while the Nuer moved in, in the mid 80s. About 3,000
people live here, 75% of which are Nuer.
Ochom communities have lived in friction. During the
downfall of Derg in 1991, the Nuer community was
threatened and vacated the area until 1994 when the
situation came to normal.
The Year 2002 came with a lot of misfortune again. It
was the year the Nuer and Anywaq communities
experienced the worst conflict in their History.
|
Community Members interact with ACORD and HEKs
visitors at a forum in Gambella |
Hundreds of people lost their lives during this
conflict. It happened in July 2002 in Itang district
where Nuer and Anywaa have lived together for many
years. The conflict soon spread through out the whole
region.
However, Ochom village was the hardest hit. The entire
Anywaq community was displaced to the other side of the
Baro River.
The condition of the displacement was very bad and that is
why the Anywaq community were afraid to return back to the
village. In 2004 however, there was relative peace between
Anywaq and Nuer. In the beginning of 2005, a few
courageous Anywaq came back but had little communication
and interaction with Nuer. Suspicions and fears were
still there.
ACORD was approached by Nuer of Ochom to support them in
the construction of community school with local materials.
However the staff used the opportunity to bring Anywaq and
Nuer together in order to discuss joint community
problems.
During the period ACORD discovered that constant conflict
between the two communities was brought about by various
livelihood activities undertaken by the two communities.
For example, we discovered that the livestock of the Nuer
community, who are basically pastoralists, entered
Anywaq’s (cultivators) farmland and destroyed crops. As a
remedy, Nuer promised to keep their animals or otherwise
compensate for any damage.
Another project undertaken in this village was the
rehabilitation of Anywaq community: After discussions,
Anywaq were confident to come and stay with Nuer in Ochom,
but they had no shelters for themselves. For solution Nuer
decided to contribute wood foundation and roofing, Anywaa
will give grass and ACORD will provide ropes. The cost
sharing is estimated to be 60%, 30% and 10% for Nuer
Anywaq and ACORD respectively. Anywaq and Nuer
constructed 13 tukuls as the result.
Those Anywaq who were coming back to Ochom had nothing to
eat. Joint community and ACORD problem identification team
came up with the provision of fishing nets as a
sustainable solution. ACORD then provided materials for
fishing net and paid for labour. Two fishing nets were
made and operational. As a result, Ochom community has
come out of what used to be known as in chronic problem.
Fishing has become source of both food and income.
Upon community request, the local government has provided
teachers for 1 to 4 grades for Ochom community. But no
school has been constructed yet. Ochom communities have
collected some money to construct their school using local
materials. ACORD has promised the community to contribute
corrugated iron sheet and wooden pools that cannot be
obtained locally.
The school projected to contribute to the peace building
process by bringing Anywaq and Nuer children together.
Community dialogue facilitated by ACORD has brought new
confidence. The two communities have learnt that they have
so many things in common than differences. Communication
has opened up and Anywaq and Nuer are solving their
problem together.
The achievement has renewed hope among peace actors in
Gambella (community, local governments and NGOs that peace
is possible in the region after all.
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The Undoing of unending
Conflicts in Africa
Recent years have seen numerous civil wars and conflicts
happening in Africa, some of which are still on going. The
continent has had internal and external conflicts, like it
has been in the seven or so countries directly involved in
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the Sierra Leone
crisis and the war in Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea,
Sudan, Northern Uganda, Somalia and various other civil
wars.
No less than 28 Sub-Saharan African states have been at
war since 1980, as pointed out by international
development organization, ID21.
The factors that lead to conflict in Africa can be broadly
classified into root causes, secondary or proximate causes
and territorial causes or intervention factors.
The root causes can further be divided into three main
aspects. Firstly, those that occur when states become weak
and they collapse; when the economic decline and economic
shock; and lastly the historical factors.
In most cases, Africa has had regimes that did not have
popular support. Most of the time, the regimes were a
result of coup d’etat and military dictatorship. The
biggest asset of those regimes were tight security and
intelligence machinery that gave a false sign of peoples
approval mostly out of fear.
The regimes grew more and more unaccountable and abusive.
They did not tolerate any form of resistance and this
brought to the collapse of the judiciary and penal
systems. This situation has always gone hand in hand with
mismanagement of public funds and failure to deliver
social infrastructures that would have improved peoples
lives.
Of course, there is the issue of massive debts , the IMF
and World Bank structural adjustments reforms policies
that produced more impoverishment than the intended
benefits.
We also have natural disasters like the famine in Ethiopia
and the inheritance of some factors from the Colonialism
era that created terrible divisions in communities like in
Burundi and Rwanda. The already mentioned reasons put
together have increased unemployment, ethnicity and all
sorts of social disruptions.
The wars have had a terrible impact on neighboring
countries with the influx of refugees and the internally
displaced people. This has led to powerlessness of
governments in feeding people and thus the deep
humanitarian dependency.
With the migration of refugees comes the free movement of
weapons across borders. This creates urban insecurity,
crimes rate goes high and the already fragile societies
become a nightmare. Young people too start leaving the
continent, seeking for asylum in Europe and America where
they hope to live better lives, but most of the time they
are disenchanted.
Depending on whether the Northern countries have interests
in a particular conflict, such conflict will or will not
get enough coverage for the world to appreciate the impact
of human abuses being committed.
When there is suffering, the World needs to react in
unison in order to overcome such ignoble actions, which
unfortunately never happens.
But why is it important whether or not media outlets in
countries such as those in the west provide coverage of
African and other conflicts that do not appear to involve
them?
Wars without the involvement of the Western nations do not
seem newsworthy enough to appear on international TV news
agendas, and the little coverage given only focuses on the
brutality of the conflict and not on possible solutions.”
There have been over 9.5 million refugees and hundreds and
thousands of people have been slaughtered. If this scale
of destruction and fighting was in Europe, then people
would be calling it World War III with the entire world
rushing to report, provide aid, mediate and otherwise try
to diffuse the situation.
ACORD works with internally displaced persons in the
margins of African society including refugees, women and
children who are normally the worst hit by conflict.
An organization that has worked with thousands of
internally displaced persons and refugees, many of whom
were forced to live in deplorable conditions separated
from their families, relatives and friends, ACORD is fully
supportive of the efforts to create a platform for peace
in many conflict stricken countries in Africa.
The Organization is committed supporting affected people
to exercise their responsibilities and rights and live in
peace and enjoy good governance.
The Agency with the civil society groups, governments and
the private sector so that just peace is maintained and
people are able to voice themselves on the basis of human
rights. The Agency continues to join hands and minds with
national, regional and international agencies in
solidarity and partnership towards that goal.
Article by Celine Siro and Anthony Makokha with
reflections of Ibrahim Sahl on the causes of
conflicts in Africa
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